Big summer ahead for Jones as he faces some tough decisions

Mike Simmonds

Hatters boss Nathan Jones knows a big summer lies ahead as he looks to shape his squad for another crack at promotion from League Two next term.

The Luton chief had set his sights on going up this term, an aim that was cruelly dashed by Blackpool last night in stoppage time as they won the play-off semi-final 6-5 on aggregate.

With a number of players out of contract at Kenilworth Road, including Craig Mackail-Smith, Danny Green, Stephen O’Donnell, Dan Potts and Zane Banton, plus Craig King and Frankie Musonda too, Jones now has some tough decisions to make over his retained list, but believes he will make the right calls.

He said: “I think we know pretty much what we’re going to do and what we want to do and so on, but it’s a difficult few days.

“We have to make sure that we’ve got the football club at heart and we make the right decisions moving forward. It’s going to be a big summer, so we’ve got to make sure we make the right decisions.”

The manner in which Luton were beaten by the Tangerines, conceding three goals in both legs, will no doubt be a big factor in where Jones looks to strengthen too, as he added: “If these were a better side than us and carved us open we’d hold our hands up, but that hasn’t been the case over two games, it really, really hasn’t.

“They’ve been poor goals to give away and at times we’ve been excellent, scintillating and tonight was a real, real top game, but there’s things for me to ponder.”